IBR Submission Details

     NIBRS data submissions address crime incidents and all the elements associated with them, e.g., offenses, victims, offenders, property loss, clearances, and arrestees.  The Group A Incident Report is used to report all information about Group A Offenses within six categories: incident (administrative), offense, property, victim, offender, and arrestee.  Each of these categories is in the Help IBR Submission Links.  

     In most cases, an initial Group A Incident Report will contain incident (administrative), offense, property (if applicable), victim and offender information.  Details concerning one or more arrestees may also be included if apprehensions were made by the time the initial report submitted.  However, in many cases, arrests will be made after the initial report and the arrestee information will be submitted as "update" to the initial incident report.  If an arrest involving a Group A offense occurs for a crime not previously reported to the UCR program (e.g., an "on view arrest") then, of course, all applicable data should be submitted. 

     Sometimes applications for warrants are made without the police being notified of the details of the crime, e.g., "Bench Warrant" situations.  Insofar as possible, when arrests for Group A offenses are made under these circumstances, the information regarding the offenses should be obtained and reported in Group A Incident Reports.

    The Group B Arrest Report is used to report data concerning each arrestee for a Group B offense.  The report is comprised of selected data, which describes the arrestee and the circumstance of the arrest.  See The Group A UCR Offenses Codes Link, The Group B UCR Offense Codes Link and in the UCR Download Area the NIBRS Statute Cross-Reference Link for more information on the offenses.   

Definition of an Incident

     An "incident" is defined for NIBRS reporting purposes as one or more offenses committed by the same offender, or group of offenders acting in concert, at the same time and place.

     "Acting in concert" requires that the offenders actually commit or assist in the commission of the crime(s).  The offenders must be aware of, and consent to, the commission of the crime(s); or even if no consenting their actions assist in the commission of the offense(s).  This is important because all of the offenders in an incident are considered to have all of the offenses in the incident.  If one or more of the offenders did not act in concert, then there is more than one incident involved.

     "Same time and place" means that the time intervals between the offenses and the distance between the locations where they occurred were insignificant.  Normally, the offenses must have occurred during an unbroken time duration and at the same or adjoining location(s).  However, incidents can also be comprised of offenses which by their nature involve continuing criminal activity by the same offender(s) at different times and places, as long as the activity is deemed to constitute a single criminal transaction.

     Because it is not possible to provide instructions that will cover all of the possible situations that might occur, in some cases the reporting agency will have to use it's best judgment in determining how many incidents were involved.

     Example (1):  Two offenders robbed a bar. The Bartender was forced at gunpoint to surrender money from the cash register.  The robbers also took money and jewelry from three customers.  One of the robbers, in searching for more customers to rob, found a female customer in the rest room and raped her there outside of the view of the other offender.  When the rapist returned, both robbers left.  There were two incidents, one involving forcible rape, because the offenders weren't "acting in concert" in both offenses.

     Example (2):  Same situation as Example (1), except that the rape occurred in the bar and the other offender told the rapist to stop and only rob the victim.  There was only one incident with two offenses, e.g., robbery and forcible rape.  Although the other robber did not consent to the rape, by displaying a gun he prevented someone coming to the victim's assistance and thereby assisted in the commission of the crime.

     Example (3):  Over a period of 18 months, a computer programmer working for a bank manipulated the bank's computer and systematically embezzled $70,000.  The continuing criminal activity constituted a single "incident" involving the crime of embezzlement.

Classifying Offenses

     In the reporting of data to the state and the national UCR Program, it is first necessary to classify appropriate offenses within an incident into the Group A or Group B offense categories as defined by NIBRS.  This practice ensures that offenses with different titles under state and local law or United State Titles and Statutes are considered and appropriately counted in UCR.  All criminal offenses of law will be classified as either Group A or Group B in NIBRS.  Both incidents and arrests are to be reported for Group A offenses, while only arrests are reported for Group B offenses.  

Crimes Against Persons, Property and Society

     NIBRS offenses are divided into three categories: "Crimes Against Persons", Crimes Against Property" or "Crimes Against Society".  "Crimes Against Persons" are those whose victims are always "Individuals", e.g., murder, forcible rape, assault.  The object of "Crimes Against Property" is to obtain money, property, or some other benefit, e.g., robbery, bribery, burglary.  "Crimes Against Society" represents society's prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity, e.g., gambling. prostitution, or  drug violations.

     For counting purposes, one offense is counted for each victim of a "Crime Against Persons"; one offense is counted for each distinct operation for "Crimes Against Property" (except motor vehicle theft, where one offense is counted for each stolen vehicle); and one offense is counted for each "Crime Against Society".